For the folks of Putrajaya, you can now rejoice as Pak John Steamboat & BBQ has opened in IOI City Mall. Prior to this, there was only one outlet which is located in e@Curve, Mutiara Damansara. Stemboat & BBQ concept is not a new concept but Pak John Steamboat & BBQ does it the best by offering a wide variety of choices… be it in terms of the meat offered or the vegetables or the seafood. In fact, if I had to list down everything that they have it’ll probably bore you from reading the list! Oh, I forgot to mention that this is actually a buffet restaurant which is why you can pick as many items as you can eat!

In the pictures I’m sharing, you can see all the different items available. There are approximately more than 160 items in total. In addition to the raw food to be cooked, there are also some cooked dishes you can have like Sweet Sour Chicken, Fried Rice, Dim Sum… just to name a few. There are also desserts for the sweet-tooth and with options like ice cream, waffles, cendol, ice kacang and fruits — it is sure to satisfy any dessert lovers!

For your steamboat, you can pick between soup bases like Chicken, Prawn, Tom Yam depending on your preference. We started by trying out the chicken soup base that is a clear, soup with minimal flavour. As we added more things into our steamboat pot, the flavour of the soup was enhanced. We also tried the prawn soup which on its own was already quite flavourful. You can really taste the distinct prawn flavour in it.

But my all-time favourite from Pak John Steamboat & BBQ is the premium option of slices of lamb, beef and abalone. They even have smoked duck which is rarely found at steamboat & BBQ restaurants. The premium option is included in the price of RM42.90++ per person. However, as these items are expensive hence to prevent wastage, you will need to obtain it from the counter! There is no limit though so you can take as much as you can eat, just be sure not to waste any food.

For that price, it really is a steal when you compare to the value that you’re getting. Plus, this place is also perfect for gatherings especially if you have Muslim friends as Pak John Steamboat & BBQ has the halal certification issued by JAKIM. So, what are you waiting for, hop on over to Pak John Steamboat & BBQ in IOI City Mall! Do note that the restaurant is located on the outer facing side of the mall. To access it, you’ll need to make sure you’re entering it from the part of the mall which is facing the outdoor.

It’s refreshing to know that there are actually pageants for men too, although it definitely is not common in our modern global culture. We’ve been so exposed to the numerous different kind of beauty pageants for the ladies, but unbeknownst to us is a another realm where men are also crowned for their beauty, charisma and intelligence.

The men’s pageant that I’m referring to here is the 2018 Mister World Prestige International where the Grand Finals was just held last month on January 25, 2018 in Pullman Hotel, Putrajaya. This pageant was no ordinary one, as they have opted to focus on how stylish these men looked like as they compete for the Mister World Prestige’s title.

The Honorary Sponsor for this pageant is Vintage Collection International, where their expertise lies in tailored evening wears and work wears for executives. Their collection are timeless and elegant, which are designed by three experienced fashion designers of various nationalities in the world. Daniel Fenadon, their Chief Designer have said, “With 11 years of experience in the fashion line, we’ve expanded from personalised designs and exclusive customizations to ready-to-wear designs sold at various retail outlets.”

In addition to that, there are many other various sponsors such as Fion Poon Exclusive, Peek-A-Boo Hair Profesional, Gelly Wee Makeup, Character International Modeling Academy & Agency and VOUGE Production. The event would not have been successful without the contribution of everyone, working together to ensure the success of the event.

The next pagent in their pipeline is actually the Miss World Prestige International and Mrs World Prestige International. This would be perfect for the ladies who have always wanted to give beauty pagent a try. :) Interested candidates may call Ms Cassandra Ng at 012-6101188 or alternatively you may stalk their social media page >>>> https://www.facebook.com/worldprestigeinternational/ to be amongst the first to find out more information about it!

Malaysians are introduced to Japanese varieties store by the likes of Daiso first, when it was just RM5 before GST was implemented. Years later we have shops like Miniso and Yubiso as well, but with a slightly different business model. These shops sell a variety of different products at a reasonably attractive prices, as compared to Daiso where the prices are fixed. And now we have even more options with the addition of TOKUYA, another variety shop based in the neighborhood of Mont Kiara, in the new building of Plaza Arcoris.

From my visit to TOKUYA recently during their grand opening, I found that the concept of TOKUYA differs from the usual. With the concept of being "purposely unique", it aims to carry and sell products which serves their purposes and yet, it's distinct, where it stands out from the usual. As I browsed through the aisle and the racks of products, I can't help but be amused at the myriad options of different products available for sale.

The products are of different categories of items such as household, kitchenware, beauty, organization, pets, stationery, cosmetics, hardware, cleaning, hygiene, gardening and many others. I found out that there are actually 20,000 products for sale in the shop, so I can be sure that you’ll be spoilt for choices! Trust me, I spent probably my first hour going round and round the aisles, trying to decide what to get. You can’t help but be spoilt for choices when you’re there.

As I was going around, I got an idea to share with you on my unique finds whilst I was there. That way you’re able to gauge what kind of items TOKUYA has to offer. I do need to mention that since most, if not all of their products are from Japan, the packaging has Japanese words all over it. That can be quite tricky, in my honest opinion as most of us don’t understand the language. But having said that, most of the items are self-explanatory and there are always pictures / illustrations to help you with it.

* * * * * * * * * *

So, without further ado, let me show you what are some of my top picks that I have found.

These are really just a handful of the products available, trust me it’s best for you to come and see it for yourself. TOKUYA is located on the lower ground floor, so you’ll need to head down from the escalator from the outdoor park to arrive at the store. There is a water feature fountain right in front of the store, so do look out for that. Once you see that, most likely you have arrive at the variety store wonderland of TOKUYA!

There is no secret that one of my favourite cuisines is actually Thai food. It’ll probably explain why I went to Bangkok twice in the span of less than 6 months away because I’m absolutely into the Thai cuisine. The Thai street food is absolutely delicious and I find myself often missing them. It’s a little harder to get my fix of authenthic Thai street food fare back in Kuala Lumpur.

When I mention Thai street food, I’m sure one of the type of street food that comes to mind is the boat noodles! Delicious bowls of piping noodles served in bowls, of smaller than usual servings. Yes, that’s the boat noodles I’m talking about. Back home in Malaysia, we have the pioneer in this food which is Boat Noodle Malaysia themselves, aptly named after the dish.

What’s more exciting is that in conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year, Boat Noodle have introduced their Prosperity Yum Menu! It’s different from their normal menu because they have Tom Yum soup broth as their base versus the usual one. Tom Yum, is one of my favourite flavour of soup so I welcomed this new menu option with open arms.

Springy Noodles - Chicken | RM1.99 per bowl

Springy Noodles - Beef | RM1.99 per bowl

And boy, it did not disappoint one bit! The soup was rich and the creamy kind …. so delicious, you’ll actually finish the soup down to the last drop. There is a choice of Beef or Chicken and an option of either Thai Rice Noodles or Springy Noodles. Depending on your choice of meat, the noodles served is topped with crispy wanton skin, along with chicken slices and ball for the Chicken option or beef slices and ball for the Beef option. So so yummy that I finished 6 bowls of it myself!

Thai Rice Noodles - Beef | RM1.99 per bowl

Thai Rice Noodles - Chicken | RM1.99 per bowl

Thai Fried Chicken | RM1.99 per bowl

On top of these delicious boat noodles, Thai Fried Chicken is also part of the new menu. Despite my strict diet, I never say no to fried chicken … what more one that looks as tempting as this. Just by judging the looks of it, I knew it’ll be a winner in my books. Couple that with the fragnant smell emanating from the glorious dish of fried chicken…. mhmm, it makes me salivate just writing about it now. Taste wise, it was juicy and tender on the inside …. yet, oh-so-cripsy on the outside! Very well marinated with a myriad of spices and with hints of Thai authentic taste, I can’t put a word to that so you simply must try it to know what I’m talking about.

To accompany the new dish offerings, Boat Noodle have also introduced two new drinks flavour. One of which is the super InstagrammableBlue Butterfly— a drink made from the combination of blue butterfly pea flowers and lemongrass.

It looks pretty in blue but what makes it amazing is the colour-changing properties when lime juice is added into the drink. It will then change to purple in colour! The key to photograph is when you pour the juice in slowly and let the colours show!

The other drink is the Mango Smoothie, a delicious and refreshing drink to quench your thirst on a hot day. Perfectly suitable for mango lovers, as it’s rich in mango flavour with just the right amount of sweetness! The new menu stuck close to their Thai food origins and so this is the place to go for your boat noodles fix if you’re ever craving for them.

Boat Noodle Malaysia have over 46 outlets which you can visit, whichever the most convenient to your location. For the full list of the outlets, do head on to their site at this link >>> http://www.boatnoodle.com.my/our-outlets.html.

About a couple of weeks back, I reviewed the Velvet Pout, semi-matte lipstick and Just Wing It eyeliner from Lip&Co [ Read more >> HERE], which is actually a local Malaysian cosmetic brand. It is actually also a vegan friendly and cruelty free beauty company which specializes on lip products. This time around, I had the opportunity to try Water Tint – Ultra Long Wear Lip Tintand Brow Filler – Long Wear Gel Brow Pencil .

The lip trend went from liquid matte lips to glossy, chrome kind of lips and then to the rich colored, lip tints. I have seen many lip tints around and I know that there are many variations available. Lip&Co’s version promises at least 8 hours of anti-feathering wear and is a water-based formulation. It is also transfer-proof, which I feel is an important feature for me.

There are four different shades available and I’ve received the #1 Cupid’s Kiss and #4 Red Siren. The #4 Red Siren as the name suggests has more red hue to it, whereas the #1 Cupid’s Kiss is more on the deep pink side.

What I love most about the product is how pigmented the colors actually are when applied. There were rich in color for both the shades. The applicator is a soft felt tip, with a curved top to it. The finish is a matte one and it feels absolutely light-weight on my lips when worn.

As the product is actually water-based, so it is not water proof. So if you are planning to have soupy, oily food for your meals, be prepared to re-apply the lip tint after your meal. :) Honestly, the product is pretty moisturizing as it has aloe vera extract which soothe the lips. Hence, reapplication of the tint is not an issue.

You don’t have to worry about the product building up and feeling thick. It’s so light that I don’t even realize I had something on. I’d also highly recommend you to carry it around, because it’s so sleek (just like the shape of a pen) … it makes it so easy to carry it around.

The Brow Filler – Long Wear Gel Brow Pencil has a long wear formulation of approximately, 8 hour wear without smudging. This is true, because I wore it out during my holiday trip and it did last the whole day for me.

Nowadays, we are definitely spoilt for choices in terms of brow products. There are different type of products available from powders to gel and fof course, the trusty pencil. This one from Lip&Co is a combination of gel with pencil and has a unique feature of non-retractable packaging.

To use this product, you’ll need to rotate the gel pencil part and once you rotate out, you can’t turn it back in. It’s actually better this way because I lost count of the number of times that my retractable beauty products just got stuck and won’t go back in. This design eliminates that from ever happening.

The tip of the gel pencil is just the right size to shape and build up on the layers for your eyebrow. The effect is a nice feathering which is achieved by brushing with the spoolie to create the natural effect and tame flyaway hairs. It comes in two shades which is the 01 Light Brown and 02 Dark Brown.